The efficacy and safety of 5% lidocaine patch for postoperative pain in unilateral inguinal herniorrhaphy: prospective randomized controlled pilot study

Postoperative pain is a major concern in day surgery (DS), particularly after open inguinal herniorrhaphy. Reducing pain is important to decrease hospital stays and promote faster recovery. This study evaluated the lidocaine patch’s efficacy in managing acute postoperative pain following unilateral inguinal herniorrhaphy. In a randomized, double-blind trial, 32 patients were assigned to either the lidocaine or placebo patch groups, and pain was assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS) during rest, movement, and coughing. The lidocaine group reported significantly lower pain during coughing at discharge compared to the placebo group (3 ± 1.7 vs. 4.6 ± 2.7; p = 0.03), although opioid use did not differ significantly between groups. Overall, the lidocaine patch showed potential for reducing postoperative pain. However, given the limited sample size and the exploratory nature of this pilot study, these results should be interpreted with caution and validated in future large-scale, adequately powered clinical trials.